Sitting on the cool, jagged ground, Kaiser’s gaze lingered on the cave entrance, oddly missing the dreadful glider's pestering noices. Dim light filtered through the crack they had entered from, casting faint, shifting shadows on the stone walls. It was strangely tranquil, but his thoughts wandered aimlessly, refusing to settle. He had woken far earlier than Hazie, his body restless and his mind too preoccupied to return to sleep. Beside him, she lay still, her chest rising and falling in the rhythm of peaceful slumber.

  Kaiser didn’t have the heart to wake her. She deserved this rest more than anyone. When they met, Hazie had been a survivor in every sense of the word, carrying the immense burden of being the sole prey of an unrelenting predator. He couldn’t begin to fathom the strength it must have taken to endure so long in this desolate hellscape, deprived of sleep, food, and the simple comfort of safety as she was constantly on the run. Her exhaustion was visible even now, etched into the lines of her face and the way she clung to sleep like a lifeline.

  Disturbing her now would be cruel, and Kaiser had never been one to steal peace from those who needed it most. So, he let her rest and found solace in the solitude that had always been his companion.

  Staring at the faint crack of light near the cave's entrance, Kai felt a rare sense of calm settle over him, an odd peace that contrasted sharply with the dreadful reality surrounding them. The soft, steady rhythm of Hazie’s breathing added to the stillness, grounding him. Yet, despite the outward tranquility, his thoughts churned with unease.

  Because, whether he liked it or not, their next destination would not be through that light. The predator was still out there, lurking and waiting, its patience unyielding. It's like a silent challenge, inviting them to another deadly run, one they were not in any condition to accept.

  Another option, however, lies behind them—a path that delves deeper into the cave's shadowy depths. They hadn’t chosen this specific cavern by chance. Hazie had deliberately led them here, for this path offered a faint glimmer of hope, promising safety while she recovered. It was their best option, their only real choice, really, unless they wanted to court certain death by venturing back outside.

  Kaiser’s gaze drifted from the entrance to the yawning darkness of the cave’s interior. Even his sharp eyes couldn’t penetrate the void that stretched endlessly before them. The air seemed colder the longer he stared, heavy with the promise of unseen challenges.

  'Is this where the others went?' he wondered silently.

  Had they taken this same path to fle from that terror outside? If Hazie had chosen this route, there had to be a reason. Still, he couldn’t shake the unease gnawing at him. Whatever lay within the depths of this cavern could be as deadly as the predator outside and everyone fears nothing more than the unknown.

  However, leaving Hazie alone to explore wasn’t an option. The last time he left a girl alone—namely Ariella—, had cost him to face multiple bandits. The memory of that first death was one he wasn’t keen to relive. Furthermore, it would be beyond careless of him to leave his only guide.

  Bored but unable to sleep, he shifted, the monotony of waiting started to weigh on him. Eventually, his focus drifted to the ring on his finger and remembered it's secrets were still far from fully unraveled, and with nothing else to do, he decided it was time to dig deeper. Windslayer’s abilities had been more than he anticipated, and now his curiosity burned to see what the ring would reveal about the next term.

  Bond: [Zara]

  Unlike Relic, which was a relatively common concept for those with access to proper resources, *Bond* was shrouded in mystery. Kaiser only had a vague understanding of it, gleaned from Zara’s explanation of Sacred Bonds. The rest was guesswork, built on fragments of knowledge he had yet to piece together.

  Taking a steadying breath, he focused his thoughts and began to read.

  ---

  Bond Description:

  Human partitioners of this concept are referred to as Tamers.

  A Bond is a connection between a Tamer and an, intelligent, mystical beast, formed through one of two methods—naturally or artificially.

  A natural Bond develops over time, built on mutual trust and genuine attachment. This type of Bond is harmonious and equal, with no hierarchical positions. Both parties willingly listen to and respect each other, and either can choose to sever the connection if the relationship falters.

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  An artificial Bond, on the other hand, is created hastily through a ritual known as *Sacred Bound*. This ritual establishes a defined master-servant relationship. While it grants similar benefits to a natural Bond—Shared main ability, it lacks emotional sincerity, tying both parties together through the ritual’s power rather than genuine feelings. Sacred Bonds are far more rigid—once formed, they can only be broken by the death of either party.

  In the master-servant structure, the master holds the dominant position, with exclusive rights to issue commands. However, the effectiveness of those commands depends on the servant’s mental resilience. Creatures with strong willpower, like Beast-kin (hybrids of humans and mystical beasts), are more likely to resist. If the servant is willing to obey or has been broken into submission, issuing commands becomes much easier. Pure mystical beasts, on the other hand, are typically easier to tame through a Sacred Bond for they lack human nature.

  One of the key benefits of a Bond is the combined power it grants. For instance, if the servant’s strength is rated at 0.5 and the master’s at 2.0, their Bond would produce a total strength of 2.5, enhancing both parties. However, the master possesses a unique right: control over the energy flow. They can siphon the servant’s share of power to boost their own power even further. Leaving what the servants will could defend which is dependent on their individual capacity, mental resilience, defiance and level. This comes at a risk—if the servant’s resilience is too weak, the energy drain could leave them critically weakened or even kill them.

  ---

  Kaiser paused as he finished reading, his brow furrowing in disbelief.

  'Wtf? This sh*t looks like a full-blown contract!'

  While he had never actually seen a proper contract—he’d steered clear of situations requiring anything so formal—it still felt like one to him. A sophisticated set of terms, outlining conditions, benefits, and consequences, all revolving around forming this so-called Bond with mystical creatures. The description even extended to the enigmatic hybrids known as Beast-kin—part human, part beast, and far more complex than the primal hunger-driven creatures they shared lineage with.

  How Beast-kin came to exist was still a mystery, but one thing was now clear: Kaiser could technically call himself a *Tamer*. If he were shameless enough to claim the title, that is, considering how things had played out with Zara, his bonded Beast-kin. Still, he smirked to himself, his ego flaring just slightly.

  'I’m a Tamer—the fastest to become one, probably... even if it was an accident.'

  Hypnotically thinking, becoming a Tamer wasn’t an easy feat. Not only does it require finding a rare mystical beast and, more importantly, convincing it to form a Bond. In his case, however, Zara had been the one to find him and forced him into the Sacred Bound for her own benefit. But details like that didn’t matter much to Kaiser. Half-truth or not, he was technically a Tamer, and he wasn’t above giving himself credit for it.

  That said, the difference between what the ring revealed about Relics and Bonds was undeniable. Then again, Relics were enigmatic artifacts, each possessing unique traits that often defied logic or explanation. Windslayer, for example, stood as a testament to their unpredictability—an object of raw power and mystery, its abilities unlike any other. Each Relic was a singular creation, shaped by magic and mystery, making them nearly impossible to categorize or fully comprehend.

  Bonds, in contrast, followed a far more structured and consistent framework. They were not shaped by individuality or the chaos of magic but by a singular, defined function that could be studied, understood, and even replicated. Where Relics embodied the unpredictable forces of the unknown, Bonds offered a predictable formula—a connection governed by rules rather than wonder. Thus, Bonds are more explainable.

  It was likely thanks to this predictability that the inventor of the rings was able to document and share their findings about Bonds.

  Leaning back, Kaiser allowed himself to sink deeper into the knowledge. Eventually concluding.

  '...It’s not slavery. I knew it.'

  The concept of a Bond wasn’t entirely foreign to him, but the ring’s explanation provided clarity Zara had never bothered to offer. Her version had been a deceptive mix of half-truths, designed to charm a naive kid into accepting her terms. Jokes on her, though—she’d unwittingly bound herself to an Immortal, whose very existence rendered her treachery null. The Sacred Bound they had formed could only be broken by death, in which he lacks.

  Still, he couldn’t deny that her actions had ultimately benefited him. The Bond had provided him with an external source of strength that complemented his immortality, covering its inherent weaknesses.

  Even so, Kaiser wasn’t blind to the flaws in their forced connection. Insincere agreements were inherently disharmonious, and the master-servant dynamic of a Bond could easily become volatile. While it bore some similarities to slavery, the metaphorical shackles were loose. A dissatisfied servant wasn’t powerless, and nothing in the Bond’s nature guaranteed obedience, especially from someone as dangerous and unpredictable as Zara. Even as her so-called master, Kaiser knew better than to let his guard down. The Sacred Bond wouldn’t erase his dread towards the deadly woman tethered to him.

  A chill crept up his spine at the thought of seeing her again.

  'I guess playing dead back then really was the right choice.'

  Who knew what Zara would do if she found out the truth?

  'I don’t wanna know. Thank you very much.'

  Kaiser grimaced as his mind wandered to memories of Zara’s brutality. Her way of slaughter was clinical, devastating, and far beyond what he could endure unscathed—even with his immortality, he can't help but dread. To ensure their Sacred Bond stayed buried and unnoticed, he had resolved never to tap into the second benefit of their connection, no matter how tempting: the ability to forcefully siphon her strength to empower himself further. Using it would risk exposing their misunderstoodly erased

  connection by his past death, and with it, invite Zara’s wrath— who might seek answers or destroy him for what he had done.

  It was better this way. Let the bond fade into obscurity, a forgotten relic of a treacherous past. He had already gone his separate way from Zara, so did she, and he intended to keep it that way. No entanglements, no pursuers, no blood-stained consequences.

  Despite the power the Bond granted, he couldn’t shake the unease that came with knowing Zara’s loyalty—or lack thereof—was bound by force rather than mutual respect. And in this unsteady alliance, the line between ally and adversary was dangerously thin.

  'Another strange relationship, huh?'

  He chuckled darkly to himself. Zara was neither enemy nor ally, neither stranger nor friend. And here he was—supposedly the master in this arrangement—yet hiding from his servant, walking on eggshells to avoid her notice. The irony wasn’t lost on him, and the more he reflected, the clearer it became just how little control he had over the situation.

  Kai lingered in the dim silence, caught between amusement and exasperation. The knowledge he’d gained painted an even murkier picture of the precarious bond he shared with Zara. It was hard to tell whether to laugh at his misfortune and gain or despair at the implications. Eventually, his chuckles faded into a long, weary sigh.

  He hesitated, fingers tracing the edge of the silver ring, its cool surface grounding him as his thoughts churned.

  As the thought settled, so did his curiosity.

  'There’s no harm in knowing her further, right?'

  A faint smile played across his lips as he leaned forward. Unable to restrain his curiosity to know what Intel the ring would provide about Zara, specifically.

  'Mind if I do...Time to find out who you truly are, Zara.'

  The smile faded into something unreadable as he activated the ring once more, his mind bracing for whatever revelation it would offer.